This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Will Leafs cough up to get Kessel?

It's believed Phil Kessel wants to join the Leafs and he's already familiar with Burke and head coach Ron Wilson through his association with the U.S. Olympic program. But that doesn't make him any closer to becoming a Maple Leaf. At least, not yet.

The lingering suspicion that Phil Kessel is no longer interested in being part of the Boston Bruins is now confirmed.

But that doesn't make him any closer to becoming a Maple Leaf. At least, not yet.

Sources told the Boston Globe yesterday that Kessel won't conduct any more negotiations on a new contract with the Bruins, and really, that's no big surprise. To many, the inability of the speedy winger to come to terms with the club over the past three months has been partly about money, and partly about no longer wanting to play in Boston.

For starters, it's been suggested that Kessel isn't a big fan of the tight-checking, close-to-the-vest style of play favoured by head coach Claude Julien, who just signed a new contract with the Bruins.

As well, Kessel knows the Bruins tried to trade him to the Leafs at the entry draft in a deal that would have involved defenceman Tomas Kaberle, a transaction wrecked by a strange miscommunication between Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli and Leafs GM Brian Burke over an exchange of draft picks.

Article Continued Below

Kaberle, the last remaining member of the infamous Muskoka Five, never wanted to leave the Leafs and is under contract. But Kessel, like most young players, undoubtedly felt stung by the Bruins' efforts to trade him.

Throw in the fact that Boston is believed to be offering a contract something along the lines of the three-year, $11.35 million agreement signed by centre David Krejci earlier in the summer, with Kessel apparently looking for at least $4 million per season, and you have a 21-year-old winger feeling unwanted and in search of a new employer.

It's believed he wants to join the Leafs and he's already familiar with Burke and head coach Ron Wilson through his association with the U.S. Olympic program.

But the fact he doesn't want to play for the Bruins doesn't necessarily make it any easier for the Leafs to get their mitts on him.

For starters, the B's can match any free agent offer sheet for Kessel, something Chiarelli has said he would do. The Bruins' GM is apparently no longer crazy about dealing Kessel inside the Northeast Division, and Kaberle can no longer be included in any trade proposal now that his no-trade clause has kicked in again.

Burke and Chiarelli have held trade talks and it's believed the Leafs are willing to pay more for Kessel than the compensation required if he were signed to an offer sheet. If a contract offer came between $3.9 million and $5.2 million per season, the Bruins would receive first-, second- and third-round draft picks as compensation.

Burke is likely willing to do better than that, maybe by throwing in another first-rounder for Kessel. Moreover, while the Leaf GM seems reluctant to submit an offer sheet now, he probably wouldn't hesitate to do so if Boston trades him to another club for less than what the Leafs are offering.

When it comes to offer sheets, the Leafs' history isn't particularly glorious. In 1994, Leaf GM Cliff Fletcher signed restricted free agent winger Mike Craig to a four-year, $2.4 million offer sheet. The Stars wanted defenceman Kenny Jonsson as compensation but eventually settled for a package of the late Peter Zezel and winger Grant Marshall.

Craig was a total bust, scoring 20 goals in 142 regular-season games and none in eight post-season matches.

In 1997, Leaf acting GM Bill Watters signed Vancouver defence prospect Mattias Ohlund to a five-year, $10 million contract, but the annoyed Canucks, then run by Pat Quinn, quickly matched.

In the Kessel case, the easiest solution, clearly, is for the Bruins and Leafs to make a trade. Moreover, other teams would likely be reluctant to trade for Kessel knowing they'd have to immediately deal with an offer sheet from Toronto.

But Chiarelli may have his back up on this one, feeling that Burke is pushing him into a corner. He might be willing to do a deal, but may now demand more.

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com